


All I Needed

by Val_Brown



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Kris Allen (Musician), Tommy Ratliff (Musician)
Genre: Domestic Violence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-21
Updated: 2011-07-21
Packaged: 2017-10-21 14:51:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/226412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Val_Brown/pseuds/Val_Brown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kris has a horrifying secret, how can Tommy and Adam help save him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	All I Needed

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank AdamAddict_RH for the beta... hand holding and pretty much co-writing it with me... it was my first major Kradam..wrote one other but it was a Cracky PWP... but this one... yeah she helped so much <333

Kris stared at the phone shaking in his hand. He knew he had to make the call, there was no way he could take care of this on his own; there was just too much blood. Taking an unsteady breath, he pressed #1 on his speed dial.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Tommy was just sitting down to a movie and a beer when his phone rang. Sighing he grabbed it from the table and hit the talk button.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“T-Tommy…”

 

“Kris!” Tommy said jumping to his feet. Tommy hadn’t heard from Kris in over a week. Ever since Kris had gotten back from tour, no one had seen or heard from him. “What’s going on? Are you alright?”

 

“N-no, I need you to come get me,” Kris whispered.

 

“How bad is it?”

 

“Remember the summer we turned fifteen and Chad Langer got pissed cause he caught me and his brother making out behind the garage? It’s worse.”

 

“Oh shit,” Tommy shoved his feet into his boots and grabbed his keys and wallet from the table next to the front door. “Where you at?”

 

“Um, my house. Please hurry… before he gets back,” Kris said his voice trembling.

 

“Okay, I’m on my way, just stay on the phone with me,” Tommy said as he gunned the engine and headed for Kris’ house. Tommy knew this was going to happen. He just _knew_ the situation was getting progressively worse and told Adam as much. The minute Tommy met Jason, there was little doubt where his and Kris’ relationship was headed. There was something about the guy that rubbed  
Tommy wrong, something in the controlling way Jason behaved toward Kris that made him not trust the other man. At the time, Tommy couldn’t articulate exactly what he was feeling, but the first time Kris showed up with a bruise on his cheek, Tommy knew precisely how to express himself, which ended up with him sitting in jail overnight, followed by a six month sentence of probation and 250 hours of community service. Punching Jason also prompted varying feelings from those around him: Kris was pissed, Neil high fived in pure glee, Adam pouted while grumbling about ‘how was he going to play with a bruised hand?’, and Monte emoted a “dad” face. You know the one; the _“I am not happy that I had to get up at three in the morning to bail your ass out of jail. _” Although at the same time it said “ _I would have done the same fucking thing._ ”__

 

Pulling up to Kris’ house, Tommy barely stopped the car before he was jumping out and running to the front door.

 

“Kris! Kris, come on let me in!” Tommy shouted as he pounded on the door. Bouncing on his feet,  
Tommy knocked again. “Come on, Kris, its Tommy, let me in.”

 

“ _Tommy?_ ”

 

“Come on, baby, let me in,” Tommy said, as Kris slowly opened the door. He was not prepared for what he saw. Tommy covered his mouth, taking in Kris’ severely swollen cheek and obvious breathing problem. “Oh, Oh, Kris.”

 

“Please Tommy, I can’t…” Kris said, as he turned his face away and walked back into the house.

 

“Ok, get your things and let’s go,” Tommy said as he grabbed Kris’ guitar from the front room and carried it out to his car. Just as he laid the instrument in his trunk he heard Kris cry out. Running towards the screams, Tommy skidded to a stop when he saw Jason.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Jase, please,” Kris whispered, drawing away from Jason until his back hit the wall. Wincing, Kris put his hands up in what admittedly looked like defeat. “Just let me leave.”

 

“Why the hell would I do that?” Jason said as he stalked closer to Kris, so focused on the terrified man in front of him, he wasn’t aware of Tommy until a hand grabbed the back of his neck.

 

“Hello Jason.”

 

Turning slowly, Jason stared down at Tommy and glared. “Aren’t you breaking your probation?”

 

“Probation ended three months ago,” Tommy crowed as he leaned closer. “I’m not afraid to go to jail again. In fact, it would be worth it.”

 

“Tommy, please. Can we just leave?” Kris asked softly as he hitched his bag over his shoulder in noticeable agony and put a hand on Tommy’s arm. “Please.”

 

“Okay, go get in the car. I want a quick word with Jason before I take you to the hospital,” Tommy handed Kris his keys, never taking his eyes off Jason.

 

“Please, Tommy, just…” Kris said quietly.

 

“Kris, I promise I won’t do anything, just go to car,” Tommy pleaded. He’d never gone back on his word to Kris, which is likely the only reason Kris did as Tommy asked; he simply wanted Kris away from this mess. He waited until he heard the car door shut, and took a deep breath. “Couldn’t keep your fists to yourself, huh Jase?”

 

“You know nothing about my relationship with Kristopher. If he would learn to listen when spoken to, I wouldn’t get so angry with him,” Jason crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at Tommy.

 

Tommy was sure he used this posturing to intimidate Kris. Looking up at Jason, Tommy felt his hands fist. “You gonna throw a punch, Ratliff? Remember what happened last time?”

 

“Yeah I do, you walked away with a broken nose I believe.”

 

“Yeah and you got arrested… How well do you think it would go over with Adam if you ended up in jail again?”

 

“If it’s for protecting Kris…” Tommy flexed his hands and defiantly scoffed at Jason, “…I’m pretty sure he’d let it slide.”

 

“I’m confident a judge will see it differently.”

 

“Let me tell you something. I will do **anything** to keep Kris safe. If that means going to prison, then so be it. I will tell you this just once; if you come near Kris again, I will kill you. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise,” Tommy’s voice soft, the words like razors. Smirking up at Jason, Tommy took a step closer and breathed, “I will make you disappear.”

 

“You don’t have the balls, Ratliff,” Jason said as he closed the gap between them, the two of them having an old-fashioned staring contest.

 

Cocking his head to the side Tommy sneered. “Try me.” With that he turned and walked out the door to take his best friend to the hospital, leaving Jason in disbelief.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

 _Fucking Tommy Ratliff_. Jason thought as he heard the car pull out of the driveway. He hurled the nearest object he could reach against the wall, knowing that fucker was the reason behind Kris’ recent attitude change. Between Ratliff and Adam, Kris was slipping away and Jason was not going to let his meal ticket go without a fight. Picking up the phone, he grinned as he dialed 911.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

One arm around Kris’ shoulder, the other gripping his cell phone, Tommy maneuvered them through the slightly crowded waiting room, before settling Kris in a chair and punching the call button on his phone. It took three rings before Adam picked up.

 

“ _Tommy? What the fuck, it’s like one in the morning._ ”

 

“Adam, you need to come to the hospital, it’s Kris,” Tommy kept one hand on Kris’ shoulder, as he looked around the room, sighing heavily as he noticed two police officers looking in his direction. “Fuck,  
Adam, you better hurry, I think Jason called the cops on me.”

 

 _“You didn’t touch him did you?_ ”

 

“No, I just helped Kris leave. You better get here fast. We’re at UCLA Medical,” Tommy said as the two police officers approached him and Kris. “Gotta go. Hurry.”

 

“Mr. Ratliff?” One of the officers said as they confronted him.

 

“Yes, that’s me,” Tommy handed his phone to Kris.

 

“We have to take you down to our precinct for questioning regarding a complaint we received against you. Would you please come with us, sir.” The second officer said as he rounded the chair Kris was sitting in. It wasn’t a question.

 

“Wait! What’s going on?” Kris asked as he struggled to his feet. One hand reached out for Tommy, and the other stayed wrapped tightly around his chest. “Why are you doing this?”

 

“We received a call from someone who witnessed Mr. Ratliff assaulting a Mr. Kris Allen and were told we could find him here.

 

“I’m Kris Allen, and he didn’t do this! It was my boyfriend, please don’t take Tommy.”

 

After extended questioning and lengthy explanations, the officers empathized with Kris.

 

“By law, we have to bring Mr. Ratliff in once the complaint had been filed, even if the victim doesn’t press charges right away,” the first officer said as he started guiding Tommy toward the exit. Keeping one hand on Tommy’s shoulder, he looked sadly at Kris. “Would you like to press charges against your boyfriend?”

 

“I-I’m not sure. I don’t know what to do. Tommy?” Kris was on the verge of a breakdown.

 

“Kris, shhhh, it’s okay,” Tommy soothed.” Adam’s on his way. He’ll help you decide what to do. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” Looking up he saw Adam walking in. “Hey, Adam’s here now, everything will be okay.”

 

“Whoa, what’s going on? Tommy?” Adam moved toward them, frowning at Kris, and Tommy, _and_ the police officers. “I guess Jason did call the police. Anything to try to keep us from Kris.”

 

Kris reached out a hand and lightly touched Adam’s arm. “Adam please, don’t let them take Tommy.”

 

“Kris, listen to me,” Tommy smiled. “Adam’s here, I’ll get this cleared up and come see you as soon as I can. Right now you need to calm down, and let the doctor check you out, alright? Adam will take good care of you.”

 

“Okay, okay,” Kris whispered as he sat down, tears rolling down his cheeks. He leaned into the welcoming arms next to him and let Adam pull him close.

 

Tommy peered over his shoulder with a hopeful expression at the two men cuddled together as the cops led him out the door.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Excuse me, Kris Allen?” A nurse said softly as she bent down in front of Kris. “A doctor can see you now.”

 

Kris allowed Adam to help him to his feet and together they followed the nurse to the curtained areas.

 

After taking some basic vitals, she handed Kris a gown, and smiled kindly.

 

“I need you to change into this; the doctor will be in shortly.”

 

Thanking the nurse, Kris reached for the buttons of his shirt, grimacing as his sore fingers tried to fit them through the holes. Standing up, Adam stepped in front of Kris asking with his eyes if it was okay to help. In silent assent Kris let his arms fall to his sides permitting Adam to slip the shirt off his shoulders.  
The only sounds were Kris’ soft whimpers, his chest visibly tender to the touch and Adam’s muted gasps at seeing just what Jason had done.

 

“I am so sorry Kris. I wish I’d done something to help you. I feel like I let you down.”

 

“Not your fault, Adam,” Kris’ face contorted in pain as he slid his arms into the gown. Adam knelt in front of him and removed his shoes and socks before holding Kris by the elbow and helping him to his feet so he could take his jeans off. “I shouldn’t have gone to the finale, that’s all.”

 

“What?” Adam helped Kris back on the examination table, his hand never leaving Kris’ arm. “What do you mean you shouldn’t have gone to the finale?”

 

“Jason… he told me not to go. I should’ve listened,” Kris diverted his eyes away from Adam in shame. “I knew you’d be there and I went anyway. This is my fault. I knew he’d react this way”

 

Clenching his jaw, Adam closed his eyes and counted to ten, fighting back tears and anger. “No, baby, this was **not** your fault. Someone who loves you would never treat you this way. You deserve to be loved by someone who appreciates the precious and loving person you genuinely are.” Adam’s voice was rough with unshed tears, but with pure conviction. It was that moment the doctor chose to come in.

 

“Kris?”

 

“Hi Dr. Lawrence.”

 

“Oh, Kris, Dr. Lawrence said as he walked over to the table to check Kris' file. The doctor hesitated, looking intently at Adam, knowing exactly who he was. “Before we get started, I have to ask your friend to stay in the waiting room. Unless you authorize consent for the hospital to report your medical condition to him, which may or may not include previous history, he cannot be in the room with us.”

 

“It’s okay Joey,” Kris said quietly, barely a whisper. “I know you’re trying to protect me, but you can say anything in front of Adam.” Kris reached for Adam’s hand. “Adam, this is Dr. Joseph Lawrence. Dr.  
Lawrence, this is Adam Lambert.”

 

“Nice to meet you Adam.” The men shook hands, then grabbing a pair of gloves, Dr. Lawrence slid them on and gently started probing Kris’ cheek and jaw. “Nothing seems to be broken here, but we’ll take some x-rays to be sure. Where else are you hurt?”

 

“Um… ”

 

“His ribs,” Adam piped up as he helped Kris sit up so the doctor could look at his back and chest.

 

“Did you bring Kris here, Adam?”

 

“No, our friend Tommy did, but a couple of cops came just before I arrived and took him away for questioning. They were told Tommy was the one that assaulted Kris.” Adam laughed at how ludicrous the words sounded coming from his mouth. “If you don’t mind me asking, how do you two know each other?”

 

“Damn… that was Jason’s doing I bet… He knew Kris would want to be treated here. He’ll never change.  
I’m sorry to say that I am Jason’s younger brother. Well, half-brother,” Dr. Lawrence spat as he helped  
Kris lie back down and pulled a blanket over his legs. “I’m sending you down for x-rays. You may have a couple of broken ribs and I’d like to get a closer look at that cheek.” Dr. Lawrence sighed. “Kris, please let me call the police this time so you can press charges. As a professional, but more so as a friend, I’m worried that the next time this happens, and there will be a next time, he’ll kill you.”

 

Kris held Adam’s hand tightly to his chest. “You’re right. I can’t do this anymore,” Kris whispered as tears rolled freely down his face, remembering Adam’s words from moments ago.

 

Nodding, the doctor left the room closing the curtain behind him. Leaning down Adam pressed a kiss to Kris’ forehead.

 

“I’m gonna go talk to the doctor real quick, okay?”

 

“Okay, but hurry back please.”

 

“I will baby.”

 

Adam followed Dr. Lawrence out to the desk.

 

“Dr. Lawrence can I ask you a few questions?”

 

“Of course, and call me Joey, Adam.”

 

”Thanks Joey. You’d obviously treated Kris for similar injuries before this. How long has this been going on? Tommy always suspected, but I’m not sure he understood how bad it really was.”

 

“I first saw Kris about five months ago, Jason in tow. Kris’ hand was nearly broken. I asked him what happened and he kept saying he fell. He also had finger shaped bruises on his arms. There was no way that happened from falling down. When Jason left the room briefly to fill out paperwork, I tried to convince Kris to let me call the police. You see, Jason has a history of violent behavior and I could see that Kris was scared. I’ve seen too many domestic violence victims come through those doors, and most don’t leave their abuser. Anyway, Kris didn’t want to call the police and stuck to their story, so I couldn’t legally do anything except treat him and let them go.”

 

“What can Tommy and I do to help him now?”

 

“Don’t try to push him to do anything. Just be the loving and supportive friends you both seem to be.  
He’ll need time; he needs to relearn that not everyone will hurt him. It won’t be easy. I also see the way he looks at you Adam. I don’t know if I’m reading it wrong, but all I can say is be careful. He’s very fragile right now.”

 

Adam was processing all that Dr. Lawrence had told him when he saw Jason slide through the curtain.

 

He grabbed the doctor’s arm, “Dr. Lawrence! Jason’s here!”

 

Together they rushed toward Kris.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Stopping in front of the curtain, Dr. Lawrence put his hand on Adam’s chest.

 

“Stay here,” Dr. Lawrence gestured to a male nurse and an orderly, beckoning them over. “Adam, just wait here please. Mathew, call security. Tony, come with me.”

 

Adam watched helplessly as the two men walk through the curtain.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Hello Kristopher.”

 

Kris jerked his head toward the voice. Shaking, Kris tried to crawl as far up the small bed as he could. “Please Jason, just leave me alone.”

 

“Kristopher,” Jason, grabbed Kris’ arm, just above his elbow. “Did you think Tommy was going to keep us apart? It’s amazing what a frantic phone call to the police will do… I wonder how he’s doing in jail right now.”

 

“Please… just…” Kris tried to pull his arm out of Jason’s grip, the movement making the pain in his upper body sharper. Gasping Kris curled into himself, blinking back tears. “Please, leave me alone.”

 

“Not gonna happen sweetheart, you are mine, do you understand?” Jason snarled viciously, making Kris whimper. “If you ever…”

 

“Jason, you need to leave.”

 

“Ah, Joey, going to play hero now?” Jason glared at his brother, noticing the large nurse standing behind him.

 

“Not trying to play hero Jason, just finally doing the right thing. You need to leave now, or I’ll have security escort you from the premises,” Joey said his arms crossed over his chest.

 

“The right thing?” Jason laughed as he jerked on Kris’ arm. “Come on Kristopher, we’re leaving.”

 

“No,” Kris whispered as he tugged his arm out of Jason’s hand.

 

“What?” Jason asked incredulously. Kris never told him no.

 

“No, Jason, I’m not going anywhere with you. Just please leave,” Kris rolled over, turning his back on Jason.

 

“You can’t dismiss me Kristopher,” Jason growled as he reached toward Kris. Before he could make any contact, a large hand clamped down on his shoulder. Turning, he saw the three security guards surrounding him. Dropping his arms to his sides; he pulled his shoulders back and let them lead him away from Kris, spotting Adam on the way. He glared bitterly at Kris. “This isn’t over.”

 

“Yes Jason, it is,” Kris said with a little more confidence. “Joey, can you call the police, I want to file charges against Jason.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Adam sat back in his chair and watched Kris sleep. Kris looked so small, the bruises standing out in sharp contrast against his tanned skin. He jumped when his phone started vibrating. Standing up, he moved to the other side of the room, his eyes still on Kris as he answered the call.

 

“Hello?”

 

“ _Adam? How is he?_ ”

 

“Tommy? Where are you? What the fuck happened?” Adam ran his hand through his hair as he tried not to wake Kris.

 

“ _Yeah I just got home, they’d let me go because there was no proof that I was the one that hurt Kris, even the cops that brought me in said that they didn’t think it was me, especially after talking with Kris._ ”

 

“Are you gonna come see Kris? He was asking about you.”

 

“ _Yeah, I’m gonna take a shower and wash the police station funk off. As long as he’s with you, he’s fine. Are you still at the hospital?_ ”

 

“We’re at my house. Just use your key and come on up.”

 

“ _Alright, I’ll be there in about an hour._ ”

 

“Okay, see ya then,” Adam hung up and resumed his seat in the chair next to the bed. He couldn’t believe how he had missed this happening. Letting his head drop to his hands, he kept the tears at bay, but only for a moment, glancing at the black and blue marks on Kris’ arm, the tears finally gave way.

 

Letting one hand fall to the bed, he slipped his fingers around Kris’ just letting them rest together.

 

“I’m sorry, Kris, I’m so sorry.”

 

“This isn’t your fault Adam,” Kris rolled over, his fingers tightening around Adam’s.

 

“How didn’t I know this was happening to you? How did I miss this?” Adam looked at their fingers, letting his thumb stroke over the soft skin on the back of Kris’ hand. He couldn’t look at Kris, knowing that he had missed the severity of the situation.

 

“Adam, you didn’t miss anything. I hid it from everyone,” Kris said softly as he squeezed Adam’s fingers, trying to make Adam look at him.

 

“Tommy knew.”

 

“Tommy had strong suspicions, mostly because he’s always known when something’s wrong with me, going back to when we were kids. Even if you did figure it out, I would have denied it.”

 

“But…” Adam traced the marks on Kris’ hand.

 

“Anything you felt you could have or should have done, would have made it worse,” Kris twisted the blankets in his hands, knowing that Jason would have been furious if Adam interfered, more so than Tommy. Jason exploited Kris’ feelings toward Adam every chance he found, no matter how many times Kris denied them being true. Jason saw right through Kris. It was the one thing Kris was terrible at concealing. “Besides, I would’ve lied. I got good at lying.”

 

“Not that good,” a voice said from the doorway.

 

“Tommy…” Kris’ voice cracked as the other man crossed the room.

 

“Scoot forward baby,” Tommy whispered as he slipped behind Kris on the bed and pulled him back against his chest, wrapping his arms around Kris and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

 

“I’ll just…” Adam started to stand up; he felt like he was intruding.

 

“Get your ass over here,” Tommy gestured over Kris’ head. “Legs on either side here.”

 

Adam slipped back onto the bed, one leg on either side of Tommy and Kris, one hand holding tight to Kris’, the other holding Tommy’s. Tommy leaned forward and spoke softly in Kris’ ear. Kris shook his head, biting hard on his lower lip, tears making his eyes shiny. One hitching sob and Kris broke, his head falling back against Tommy’s shoulder, tears running free down his cheeks. Holding tight, Tommy and Adam let him cry, exchanging soft words of love between them, repeating that he will never be alone, they will always be there for him, they will always love him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kris had been living at Adam’s house for a week when the attorneys for the state came to him.

 

He stood in the kitchen as they explained that while Jason was being charged with felony domestic abuse, assault, and misdemeanor battery, he was allowed to post bail and he was out of jail. Kris felt the kitchen spinning and grabbed the counter.

 

“But… Oh god, he’s gonna come after me. He’s gonna be so angry with me,” Kris whispered to nobody.

 

He wandered towards the living room leaving the officers in the kitchen with Adam and Tommy.

 

“Adam, make sure Kris is okay, I’ll finish up here,” Tommy gestured toward the other room. Without hesitation, Adam went after Kris.

 

As he walked around the corner, Adam found Kris staring out the window, his hands pressed against the glass.

 

“He’s gonna find me Adam,” Kris watched the wind blowing through the trees in the back yard.

 

“He won’t touch you Kris, I promise. You have me and Tommy, not to mention the body guard we just hired. Jason won’t get anywhere near you.”

 

“Adam, you can’t be with me all the time,” Kris turned and pinned Adam with a resigned look. “He said he would never let me go. He’s not gonna stop.”

 

“Listen, you’ll never be alone here, either Tommy or I will be with you at all times,” Adam knelt in front of Kris, taking both of his hands and holding them close to his chest. “I won’t let Jason hurt you anymore. Never again.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kris clasped Adam’s fingers tightly as they walked into the courthouse. Tommy walked on his left, one hand on Kris’ shoulder, and Joey quietly bringing up the rear. They stopped in front of the courtroom doors; Adam looked over at Kris.

 

“You’re going to be okay. The prosecutor said the trial has been going well and this should be the last day.” Adam said hating that as a potential witness he couldn’t go inside with Kris.

 

“You’re gonna be out here waiting right?”

 

“Of course,” Adam smiled at him and pulled him in for a hug. The doors opened and the bailiff stepped into the hallway.

 

“Kris Allen?”

 

“Yeah, I’m here,” Kris stepped out of Adam’s arms and towards the open doors. “I love you, Adam.”

 

“Love you too,” Adam watched as the doors clicked closed, sinking into a chair with his head in his hands.

 

Tommy sat in the chair next to Adam and put a hand on his shoulder. “He’s gonna be fine, he’s stronger than he gives himself credit for.”

 

“Tommy’s right, he’s gonna be fine,” Joey put a hand on Adam’s shoulder. Adam just nodded and ran his hands through his hair. He knew Kris was going to be okay, Jason couldn’t touch him physically, but emotionally he could still do so much damage.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kris sat in the witness box, and glanced up at the judge, before looking over where Jason was sitting.

 

When their eyes met Kris quickly diverted his attention to his hands and waited for the District Attorney to start.

 

After preliminary background questions, the tough part began. “Mr. Allen, can you describe what happened between Mr. Reed and yourself? Can you describe the nature of your relationship?”

 

“He…” Kris looked over at Jason, who was glaring at him while he talked to his lawyer. Taking a deep breath, Kris brought his concentration back to the prosecutor. “He beat me. He would get angry. Nothing I did was good enough or right. Sometimes his anger would have nothing to do with me, but he would take it out on me just the same. Hitting me or manhandling me to the point of extreme pain, like the time my wrist was just short of broken. He was also tremendously jealous and possessive. If anyone gave me the slightest attention, he would get irate, sometimes hurting me so badly I couldn’t leave the house. He said I was asking for the attention, that I was doing it to push his buttons and he was only trying to teach me not to.”

 

“Would he use his fist?”

 

“Sometimes, other times he would use objects; he was fascinated with the marks his belt left on my skin, once he used a shoe. More often than not he would throw me to the ground and kick me. He said punching me would hurt his hands and he didn’t want to leave marks on my face, since it was the only thing I had going for me, but really it was because it was easier to hide the bruises on my body.”

 

“Why didn’t you leave the first time he attacked you?”

 

“He said he was sorry, that he would never do it again and I believed him. The next time, I was just scared. He told me that if I ever tried to leave he would kill me.”

 

Kris sat through 30 more minutes of questioning; embarrassed thinking about how all this sounded to complete strangers, but then it was finally over. “Thank you Mr. Allen, I have no further questions at this time.”

 

The prosecutor walked back to his seat and sat down. Jason’s eyes were shooting daggers at Kris as his lawyer stepped forward.

 

“You were afraid of Mr. Reed?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Yet you let him move into your house.”

 

“He didn’t hit me before he moved in,” Kris sat back in his chair; he refused to let the lawyer intimidate him. Jason did it enough when they were together. “After he moved in is when things escalated.”

 

“But you still let him live with you, you never asked him to leave?”

 

“Like I said before… I was scared; he told me if I tried to leave him he would kill me. He also threatened to harm the people closest to me, knowing that this was a more powerful deterrent. I was simply too afraid to put him to the test.”

 

“I have nothing further,” Jason’s attorney said as he returned to his seat and shook his head at what  
Jason said to him.

 

“I have a question for you Mr. Allen,” The judge said as he looked down at Kris. “Are you alright to answer another question?”

 

“Yes, your honor,” Kris said as he turned to face the judge.

 

“Why did you decide to press charges now?”

 

“The last beating was the worst one yet. I’m so lucky to have friends that had no qualms about rescuing me and getting me help, even if it meant getting hurt themselves to protect me. The people closest to me never knew the true nature of what was going on, they only suspected, and while Jason did everything possible to cut them out of my life, they never gave up on me. I was sitting in the hospital, battered and bruised, and it made me realize that I was tired; tired of being scared, tired of hurting, tired of hiding from my friends and family. I didn’t want to make excuses about why I had a black eye, why I couldn’t play guitar for a show, or why I couldn’t go out with my friends. I wanted my life back. To spend it with the people I love. Who love me too. Unconditionally.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Allen. You may step down,” The judge said as he turned back to his papers, indicating to the Prosecutor. “You may call your next witness.”

 

“I call Dr. Joseph Lawrence.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kris made it out of the courtroom before he let the tears take over. As soon as he felt Adam’s arms around him, he broke, sobs ripped from his chest as he let Adam bundle him onto the bench, Tommy sat on Kris’ other side and they both held him.

 

“You did good baby, so good,” Adam murmured into Kris’ hair. Sitting together, Adam rubbed Kris’ back while Tommy talked softly into his ear. Adam thought back to the day Kris described in detail what had been happening to him. Even all these months later it still breaks his heart.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 _Kris sat on the couch; a pillow clutched to his chest as he set his wine glass on the table and looked over at Tommy and Adam, knowing it was the right time. “I supposed you both want to know exactly what’s been going on.”_

 _“Baby, only if you’re ready. I know that Tommy had an idea and given recent events, I can put two and two together, but if you’re up to it, I’d like to hear it from you. I was in the dark before, too damn busy with my own life to see what was going on right in front of me. And I should have seen it Kris.” Adam set his glass on the table and rested his elbows on his knees. “I’m going make up for that, even if it takes the rest of my life. You will always be cherished, respected, and cared for.” Adam reached across and caressed Kris’ cheek. “No matter what, you are loved and nothing you can say will change that.” The look in Adam’s eyes told Kris everything he needed to know._

 _Kris took a breath and clutched the pillow tighter. “I met Jason about a year ago at a studio party. He was so sweet; we got to talking and it was like he “got” me, you know? I mean, he was a good listener and was so interested in what I had to say. We talked for what felt like hours. He asked me out that night and I said yes, having no idea what I was about to get into.” Kris took a breath and reached for his wine glass, draining it and setting it back on the table. “Everything was going great for about six months; he moved in, it was good. Then…”_

 _“Then what?” Adam reached out to press a hand to Kris’ knee. He could see how hard this was for Kris to say out loud and at that moment, he couldn’t be more proud._

 _“Then you came back from tour.”_

 _Adam sat back in the chair so fast it was like Kris had shocked him. **You came back from tour.**_

 _Tommy stood up and grabbed the empty wine glasses to refill them, giving Adam a chance to calm down. “Adam, let Kris tell his story. Whatever Kris is about to tell us, the fault doesn’t lie with anyone in this room.”_

 _Nodding, Adam squeezed Kris’ hand and smiled lightly. “Go ahead baby, tell us what happened.”_

 _Moving back to the couch Kris sat back and accepted the wine from Tommy. “When we got home from dinner that night after we ran into you, Jason became this person I didn’t know. Asked me how long you and I had been fucking, if we laughed at him behind his back. I tried to tell him it wasn’t like that, that we were just friends. He didn’t believe me. That was the first time he hit me. He struck me hard enough to knock me over the couch, nearly broke my wrist when I landed on the floor. I tried to get to my room and lock the door, but he caught me and threw me into the wall. Gave me a concussion and split my lip open. That was the night I met Joey.” Kris sat back and rolled his wine glass between his palms, just watching the liquid ripple in the glass. He was afraid to look at Adam, the last thing he wanted to see was pity, he didn’t want pity, he just wanted his friend._

 _“You said that was the first time? Kris how often did this happen?” Adam asked as he moved from his chair to the couch, sitting close enough to Kris that their thighs were pressed together. Slipping his arm around Kris’ shoulders, he tugged him securely to his side._

 _“Mostly after I had been gone for shows or if I had spent all day at the studio.”_

 _“So basically every day.” Tommy said as he sat on Kris’ other side, his legs tucked beneath him as he looked at his childhood friend saddened at the shell he had become._

 _“Yeah, I guess.” Kris said into his glass._

 _“Why did you stay?” Adam asked softly looking over at Kris, seeing the tears for the first time. Pulling Kris close, Adam ran his fingers through his hair, and waited._

 _“After the first time he promised he would never do it again. He apologized, said that he just got so crazy when I was gone, that he missed me, so I forgave him; I thought it was a onetime thing. He said it would never happen again. But it did. He was also incredibly jealous of you Adam, even if I didn’t give him any reason to be, or so I thought. The problem was that Jason was right, I do have very strong feelings for you and they were probably pretty obvious. I know that this still didn’t give him the right to do what he did to me, but I’m sure it didn’t help the situation at all.”_

 _Tommy squeezed Kris’ shoulder and kissed his head._

 _“Kris…” Adam said, his hand tugging lightly at Kris’ hair._

 _“No, Adam I need to finish telling you,” Kris traced the threads in Adam’s jeans, refusing to look up as he told this next part of his story. “Usually it was just slapping, or maybe a punch to my ribs. But on occasion, it would get really bad.”_

 _Adam sat still, his hands still carding through Kris’ hair pausing momentarily at Kris’ words before continuing._

 _Kris took a deep breath, “The night of the 19 Christmas party, we sang together… When we got home, I was barely in the house before he attacked me; he pushed me against the wall and started choking me. Told me that if I ever gave you any sort of attention he would make it so no one would ever want to look at me again,” Kris stuttered to a stop, tears falling from his chin as he watched his fingers trail along the threads in Adam’s jeans._

 _“You know, I’ve always loved you, Adam, since the first day I met you I think. He knew that,” Kris pulled one hand free to touch Adam’s cheek. “Jason saw the way I looked at you and convinced me that someone like you would never be romantically involved with someone like me. He constantly tried to manipulate my feelings for you. When pap photos were taken of you with another man, especially a celebrity, he’d leave the magazines for me to see and regularly pounded into my head that the only reason you gave me the time of day was because you didn’t want to make waves with Tommy, but also out of pity. He said that there was no way you would ever love me because I was weak, using your success to emphasize my lack of accomplishments, stressing that ‘Adam Lambert’ could never be linked to anyone he’d always have to support and whose failures he’d constantly have to make excuses for.” Feeling the liquid courage the wine provided, Kris crouched to the floor in front of Adam, staring directly into his eyes. He chose his words carefully, speaking quietly, slowly. “At the beginning Jason’s relentless pursuit and possessiveness was what I thought I needed to get over you. The attention was nice at first, having someone care that much about you, but eventually it grew into something ugly and I was too blind to see it when it was happening. I realize now why things progressed to the point it did. The love I felt for you was the one thing he sought from me, and the one thing I couldn’t give him. It was always yours. You claimed my heart a long time ago Adam, and no one, not even Jason, could beat that out of me.”_

 _Tommy stood up and grabbed the glasses, knowing he needed to make a hasty retreat. “I’m gonna go do the dishes; I think you should tell him, Adam.”_

 _“Tommy…” Adam shook his head, his eyes pleading._

 _“Adam, he deserves to know.” With that, Tommy walked into the kitchen leaving them alone in the living room. Looking up at Adam, Kris sat back, his hands in his lap._

 _“Tell me what?”_

 _“That I’m in love with you too. How much it killed me to see you with Jason.”_

 _Kris looked visibly shocked._

 _Adam kneeled next to Kris on the carpet and held him tight. “I’ve loved you for a long time Kris. I had my own reasons, asinine reasons, for not pursuing a relationship with you. One being timing- the fact that we were dating, however casual, other people on and off since we had met, the other being Tommy, but not for the reason Jason told you. Tommy holds you in such high regard, on the highest pedestal and I honestly didn’t think I could measure up, that I’d be good enough for you. In hindsight, I know it was silly, and Tommy, and for that matter Neil, took every opportunity to tell me how ridiculous and stubborn I was, but you really are special. In getting to know you I saw the caring, talented, intelligent, funny person you are. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that you’re fucking hot as hell.”_

 _The two of them smiled at each other like idiots._

 _“Only we could muck this up huh?” Kris chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Adam. “As the relationship went on he realized that I would never be “in love” with him and it made him angry. He would always scream as he was hitting me, telling me that you would never love me, that I wasn’t good enough for anyone to love. That I was lucky he even put up with me.”_

 _“Oh baby,” Adam pulled Kris close, burying his nose in Kris’ hair._

 _“You love me?” Kris’ voice muffled against Adam’s chest, his tears soaking the thin cotton._

 _“Baby, I always have. From the first time I saw you standing against the wall looking so out of place, but completely comfortable. Then I got to know you and was totally gone. Head over heels.”_

 _“I think I fell in love when you smiled at me the first time. Not the pretend “public” smile, the real, “I really enjoy your company” smile. That was when I knew, when my stomach dropped and my heart pounded. I knew,” Kris whispered as he leaned close and pressed a soft kiss to Adam’s mouth. Sighing softly, Kris leaned his head against Adam’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “M’so tired.”_

 _“Okay baby, let’s get you in bed,” Adam stood up scooping Kris in his arms and carrying him to his bedroom. Setting Kris on the bed Adam pulled off his shoes and socks. “Kris, let’s take off your jeans? You’ll be more comfortable.”_

 _“Adam?”_

 _“What is it baby?” Adam turned around to look at Kris, who was curled in a ball, a pillow clutched to his chest._

 _“Can you just lay with me?”_

 _“Of course,” Adam said softly as he shed his jeans and slipped on to the bed next to Kris, pulling him in to his arms. Adam felt Kris relax in his arms, his breathing getting heavy._

 _Adam started to drift off when there was a noise at the bedroom door. Looking up, Adam saw Tommy leaning against the doorframe with a small smile on his face._

 _“He’s happy now, so don’t hurt him Adam. I don’t care if you are my boss. I will fuck you up.”_

 _“I know Tommy,” Adam said as he pressed a kiss to Kris’ hair and looked back at Tommy. “Thank you.”_

 _“Just keep making him smile,” Tommy waved and walked down the hall. Adam heard the front door close. Glancing down at Kris once more, he quietly left the bed to lock up and set the house alarm before crawling back in and curling around Kris, falling asleep._

 _Adam had been up for nearly a half hour watching Kris sleep, when he started to wake._

 _“Morning,” Adam smiled down at Kris, his eyes twinkling in the early morning sun. “How are you feeling?”_

 _“I’m feeling okay,” Kris looked at Adam’s throat instead of directly at him. Taking Kris’ chin in his hand, Adam guided his face toward his own._

 _“Look at me, you deserve to feel better than okay, you deserve to feel love and everything that goes along with it,” Adam leaned forward, his lips a breath away from Kris’. “Can I kiss you?”_

 _Kris nodded as Adam pressed their lips together, softly licking along his bottom lip until Kris opened his mouth, letting Adam inside. Moaning softly, Kris wound his arms around Adam’s neck, pulling him closer. Adam slipped a leg between Kris’ spreading thighs keeping light but firm pressure against his cock. Rocking down, Kris groaned, his fingers clutching at Adam’s neck, his breath coming faster as he ground against Adam’s thigh. Kris let his hands slide down Adam’s back, his fingertips slipping below the waist of Adam’s boxers. Kneading the soft skin, Kris shoved at them._

 _“Off… take them off please,” Kris gasped against Adam’s mouth, his hips rising seeking friction._

 _“Ok, just slow down, baby,” Adam said as he pressed a kiss to Kris’ mouth and rose off the bed to remove his shorts and help Kris wiggle out of his before pinning Kris beneath him. “Let me show you how much I love you.”_

 _Reaching down Adam encircled both of their cocks in his hand, slowly sliding over the hot flesh, Kris whining against his neck, his hips thrusting up into the tight circle of Adam’s fingers. “Hold on, let me…”_

 _Adam released them both and reached over to the drawer grabbing the lube. Holding both cocks in his hand, Adam drizzled lube over them letting it trickle between his fingers. Tossing the bottle aside, Adam started moving his hand, slowly, while propping himself above Kris with his other one._

 _“Adam… please…”_

 _“Shhh, just feel me, let me take care of you,” Adam whispered as he mouthed over Kris’ jaw, his tongue gliding gently over the faint bruise still on his throat, tenderly sucking up a mark of his own._

 _“A…Adam… God, please,” Kris moaned as his hips pushed up into Adam’s fist, rubbing up and down against Adam’s cock, hot against his. His hands clutched at Adam’s shoulders as his hips thrusted helplessly, seeking more. He felt his orgasm start low in his belly, it was a slow build, radiating out to his limbs before he cried out and came over Adam’s hand. Still shaking Kris wrapped his fingers around Adam’s cock, pushing Adam’s hand out of the way in the process, grazing the head before beginning to stroke. Kris wrapped his free hand around the back of Adam’s neck and pulled him down, slipping his tongue inside Adam’s mouth, drawing a moan from him. Withdrawing slightly, Kris looked into Adam’s eyes. “I love you.”_

 _Adam shuddered as he came over Kris’ hand, his breathing unsteady as he smiled. “I love you too.”_

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Adam was still holding Kris when Joey came out of the courtroom, his tie askew, but with a smile on his face.

 

“How did it go?” Tommy asked as he stood up, popping his back with a quick twist.

 

“It went really well I think,” Joey said as he shrugged his jacket off and draped it over his arm. He turned to Adam and Kris smiling softly. “I just want you guys to know that no matter what happens, you can always come to me… for anything.”

 

“Thank you,” Kris said as he stood up, wrapping his arms around Joey, squeezing him tight.

 

“I’m serious… all of you, if you need anything just call me,” Joey shook Adam’s and Tommy’s hands and turned to leave.

 

“Joey,” Adam called as he jogged over to the other man. Joey turned around, stopping. “I just want to thank you, for helping him when you could. It meant so much to me.”

 

“Of course, he’s a good man,” Joey said as he clapped Adam on the shoulder. “Just treat him well, okay?”

 

“I will,” Adam said as he turned back to Kris and smiled. “I love him.”

 

“Good, he loves you too,” Joey turned and walked out the door. Adam returned to Kris and Tommy who were talking to the prosecutor.

 

“…we wait,” The prosecutor finished up as Adam stopped next to Kris. “Mr. Lambert, I was just saying that we have to wait for the jury to reach a decision.”

 

“Should we stay here or can we leave?” Kris asked softly as he slipped his hand into Adam’s, threading their fingers together.

 

“You can leave but I would stay close,” the prosecutor said as he looked at his watch. “I have to run upstairs to my office, but when the judge requests us back I’ll call you.”

 

“Okay, thank you,” Kris said as they shook hands and the prosecutor rushed off. Looking up at Adam, Kris smiled softly, “Can we get dinner?”

 

“Yeah, come on Tommy, let’s get something to eat,” Adam squeezed Kris’ hand lightly and they walked out of the courthouse into the late afternoon California sun.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Three hours later found them sitting in the courtroom; Kris fidgeted nervously next to Adam, his hands drumming against his thigh.

 

“Kris…” Adam placed his hand over Kris’ stopping the thumping, threading their fingers together. “Calm down baby, it’s gonna be okay.”

 

Kris nodded, squeezing Adam’s hand and sat back to wait on the verdict.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kris felt Adam nudge his shoulder, he felt numb as he watched the sheriff put the handcuffs on Jason and lead him out the side door.

 

“Kris? Baby can you hear me?”

 

“Adam… he’s… oh my god,” Kris said softly as he looked up at Adam. “Really?”

 

“Yes, seven years,” Adam said as he pulled Kris to his feet to hug him tight. Tommy practically danced behind them as he wrapped his arms around them both pressing a kiss to the side of Kris’ head.

 

“I told you, I knew you could do this,” Tommy said softly as he squeezed Kris and patted Adam’s arm. “I love you, you know that right?”

 

“I know Tommy, I love you too. Thank you for everything, I never could have gotten out or through this whole ordeal without you,” Kris sniffed as he turned around to bury his head in Tommy’s neck. “Thank you so much.”

 

“Hey man, we’re brothers, I’d do anything for you,” Tommy wiped at the tears on his cheeks and kissed Kris’ head as he whispered, “Go, Adam is waiting.”

 

Smiling at Tommy, Kris turned and put his hand out for Adam’s. “Are you ready to go home?”

 

“Yeah, let’s go home,” Adam took Kris’ hand and they walked out of the courthouse for the final time that day, uncertain if Jason will be nothing other than a distant memory, but for now they can focus solely on the future that lies ahead of them. Together.


End file.
